Celebrities who died too young

Tuesday marks 56 years since "The Day the Music Died," with rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson dying together in a plane crash. In honor of those fallen idols, join us in remembering them and other stars who died too young, some at the height of their careers.

31 / 79

River Phoenix, the older brother of actor Joaquin Phoenix, collapsed and died of drug-induced heart failure on the sidewalk outside the West Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room at age 23 on Oct. 31, 1993. He began acting at age 10, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Danny in "Running on Empty" in 1988.

Comments

The views expressed below are not those of Click On Detroit, WDIV, or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.